Box



N. TUFTS .Fully l?, 1934.

BOX

Filed Nov. 12, 1950 lNvENToR JQiW/ZZM BY La ATTORNEY Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES Parar orion Box Application November 12, 1930, Serial No. 495,026

- 4 Claims.

This invention has to do with an improved form of box and method of making the same. Boxes of various sorts have been made for some time in such a way that they may be shipped in large bundles in a flat or knocked-down condition. A

great deal of space isv thus saved in the shipment of the boxes from the point'of manufacture to the point at which they are tobe used for the packing of commodities of various kinds. At

l 1o the point of use the boxes are assembled and the sides and ends fastened together in some suitable way.

It has been a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved box construc- '15 tion of this sort which is relatively inexpensive and yet is strong and capable of withstanding the strains to which such boxes are normally subjected when shipped in a loaded condition. The box contemplated, furthermore, is light and easy to assemble at the point of use and is tight at all of its corners so as to prevent leakage of even relatively small commodities. At the same time the contents of the box are protected from dust and rain and the likeA due to the provision of tight The box is not air-tight, however, so that it may readily be employed in the shipment of fresh fruits which require a certain limited supply of oxygen in the course of ripening. With i these ends in view the box is made up completely 30 of wood, libre-board, binding wire, and staples.

ments joining the side walls of a box has been suggested heretofore but boxes so constructed are objectionable for various reasons. They are relatively expensive and heavy and are difficult to fold into the proper form for use so that they are not readily adaptable for shipment in a knockeddown condition. Furthermore, these boxes do not provide for adequate strength along the side Walls unless they are made excessively heavy and bulky. The box contemplated by the present invention overcomes all of these difliculties.

Other features and advantages of the construction will appear from the detailed description which will now be given of one illustrativeform of 4v55 box embodying the present invention.V In the drawing which discloses an illustrative embodiment of the improved box,

Figure l is an exterior View of the four sides of the box in knocked-down or flattened condition.

Figure 2 is a View of the inner side of the box in similar condition, and n Figure 3 is a perspective View of the assembled or folded box.

In order to provide a durable, light and mexpensive construction, the sides of the box are preferably formed of thin Wood, such as re-sawed lumber, ply-Wood, or veneer of suitable thickness.. The sides may be made of any suitable dimension, depending upon the size of the box to be produced. Ir" the end of the box is square, then all of the sides Will be of the same form and dimension but if a rectangular form is desired, then the sides 10 and 12 will be alike, as will also the sides 11 and 13 but the sides 10 and 11 will be of different width. 1n the construction of the box the sides when laid at will be spaced a slight distance apart so as to permit them to be readily folded in the course of assembly. A small crack would then normally be provided along eachv of the corners of the box. Over these spaces or cracks, between the side members, there is placed a series of strips 14, 15 and 16 of suitable pliable and toughV material, preferably fibre board or material of similar characteristics. .This material is comparatively light and inexpensive but at the same time is sufficiently rigid or stijf and durable to materially add to the strength of the box as a Whole. A crease or fold is preferably formed in the strips along the line which is directly above the space between adjacent side members. This insures ease of bending or folding of the composite sheet when it is desired to assemble the same into a finished box at the point where it is to be loaded. A similar strip 17 of fibre board, or the like, is placed longitudinally over the free edge cf one of the sides, such as the side 13. It will be understood that this strip, when the box is assembled by the folding of the composite member, will also overlap the free edge of the side 10 and provide a construction similar to that at the other corners along the meeting edges of the sides 1G and 13.

A number of binding wires 18 are laid transversely across the side members 10, 11, 12 and 13 andthe corner strips or members 14, 15,16 and 17, in the manner best shown in Figure 1, and these wires are extended slightly beyond the free edges of the sides 10 and 13 so as to permit the ends to be twisted together in the assembly of thev box at the point of use. lA series of staples,

or similar fastening elements 19 may be provided to attach the binding wires to the several side members of the box, as Well as to the corner members. Some of these staples will not only be passed through the side members but will be passed through the corner members as well, thus serving to unite all of the members into a common unitary structure. No separate means need be provided for attaching the corner members 14, 15, 16 and 17 to the side members 10, 11, 12 and 13 inasmuch as the staples and the binding wires will serve adequately to unite these parts If. desired the corner members may be glued to the` side members but the use of any such additional fastening means is unnecessary and would merely add to the expense of the construction of the box.

On the inner sides of the side members 10, 1l, I

12 and 13, there are arranged at opposite ends of the same a series of cleats 20 of suitable dlmension, preferably having mitered ends, as indicated at 21 in Figure 3, so that when the box is folded together in the assembly of the same a complete square or rectangle is formed at the `end ofthe box. The cleats 2O may very readily be secured to the side members simply by means of the staples or similar fastening elements 19 which are employed to secure the uppermost and lowermost binding wires 18 to the box structure. Other fastening means, such as glue or the like, may be employed if desired but this is unnecessary and would merely serve to add to the expense of the construction.

It will be understood that in the formation of the box, either by hand or on a suitable boxforming machine, the several elements employed in the construction of the continuous mat constituting the four sides of the box will be assembled in appropriate positions and then joined by means of the staples. Thus, the cleats 20 will be arranged jin line at the opposite ends of the series of side members 10, 11, 12 and 13 and the corner members or strips 14, 15, 16 and 17 will be placed in position in the manner indicated. The series of wires 18 will then be laid out across the several sections and strips and the staples will be driven in to unite all of the parts in the manner explained.

The two ends of the box may be formed of wood boards 22 of suitable thickness and dimension which may suitably be secured to the cleats 21 by a few small nails or similar means.

In the assembly of the box, the free ends of the wires 18 will not be twisted together and the corner strips 17 will not be fastened to the edge of the side member 10 until after the contents of the box has been introduced. As soon as the box has been loaded, any suitable means may be provided for stapling the free edge of the corner element 17 to the side member 10 and for twisting the free ends of the wires.

A box constructed in accordance with the foregoing will be extremely sturdy even though the material of which the sides are formed may be L relatively thin. The series of binding wires 18 will lend considerable support and the tough fibre-board strips at the corners of the box will add reinforcement at these normally weak points.

A modified form of construction might be employed in which the main body of the box would be formed of a continuous sheet of vfibre-board and the corners would be reinforced by strips of ply-wood, or the like, all bound together in substantially the `same way by means of binding wire. However, a construction of this sort Ywould be to place the corner strips of nbre-board on the interior sides of the members 10, 1l, l2 and 13. In this way merely the ply-wood or similar construction would be .exposed on the interior of the box. The staples for the binding wire would in'this arrangement also serve to unite all of the parts of the box; the corner strips extending preferably under the cleats would additionally be held in place by the latter. If desired the wires 18 might be omitted entirely in the construction of vthe box. TheV staples could be employed in the usual'way te secure the strips of thin wood, either ply-wood, veneer or re-sawed lumber or the like, and the strips or sheet of fibre-board as well as the cleats. InA the assembly of the box" a few small vnails could then be employed to hold the sides in properly folded or assembled position andafter the box has been packed it may be reinforced to any extent desired by the provision of either round or :dat strapping which will surround the box at selected points. It will be clear that in this type of construction the nbre-board at the corners of the box will serve to unite the sides together into a single mat. An advantage of this type of construction is that it permits the box to be used more readily again after it has been unpacked. The unstapled wires or straps may be readily replaced after the box has been repacked.

Obviously the number of binding wires or straps and rows of staples used in any of the forms of the box explained may be Varied to suit the .particular requirements.

While the preferred form of constructionY of the box has been set forth in considerable detail and certain modifications have been suggested' it will beunderstood that other variations may be made within'the scope of the vpresent invention.

What I claim is:

1. Av packing box adapted to be shipped in 125 knocked down but assembled condition which Acomprises four sides of thin wood, tough rigid fibre-board strips bridging the corners formed between adjacent sides of lthin' wood and extending substantially the full length of said corners, and wire binding members stapled to said sides and strips and serving asthe primary means to securel said strips to said'sides.

2. A Vpacking box adapted to be Ashipped in knocked down but assembled condition which comprises corner members extending -longitudif nally of thefbox `formed of tough, stiff but bendable fibre-board, thin wood sections at the -sides of saidzbox securedto said corner members and binding wire stapled to said members and sections to .140 reinforce the same, said Wire and stapling serving as the primary means to hold the parts together.

3. -A packing box adapted to be shipped .in knocked down but assembled condition which comprises corner members extending longitudinally of the box formed of tough, stiff butbenda- A l ble flexible libre-board, thin wood sections at the sides lof said box secured to saidfcorner members, cleats carried vby the sides of the box adjacent each ,-end, binding wire surroundingsaid box ,150

adjacent each end, and staples for simultaneously securing together said members, sections, cleats and binding wire, said staples forming the primary securing means for said elements.

4. A packing box adapted to be shipped in assembled but knocked down condition formed of tough, stii but bendable fibre-board and thin wood, the nbre-board being bent to form an angle 

